This line will echo throughout the film, a provocative discussion of religion that comes straight out of the cover of a horror movie. Despite the second half feeling slidey and unbalanced, this is a rare film that includes plenty of gore and an advanced discussion of the ancient Egyptian god Horus.

Our two church members – played by Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East – are wandering around trying to hide the spirits when they knock on the door of a lovely looking cottage. Its owner, Mr. Reed, greets with a hearty “Good afternoon!” Let’s offer. He welcomes them, brings them drinks and promises blueberry pie. He is also interested in learning more about the church. so far so good.

Of course, if you’ve seen the poster, Mr. Reed is a villain and he’s played by Hugh Grant, who doesn’t go the scruffy, dead-eyed Hannibal Lecter route in “Heretic.” Grant is the slightly irascible, shy and self-mocking character we fell in love with in “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” but with a dash of menace. He gradually reveals that he actually knows quite a lot about the Mormon religion – and all religions.

“It’s good to be religious,” he says cheerfully and promises that his wife will soon join them, which is a requirement for the church. Homey touches in his house include a framed “Bless This Mess” needlepoint on one wall, but it also has a few quirks, like his lights are on timers and there’s metal in the walls and ceilings.

Writer-directors Scott Beck and Brian Wood — who also worked on “A Quiet Place” — have remarkably prepared us for an unexpected theological debate here. Mr. Reed is not unlike an honest professor of comparative religion, armed with a talking point, pitted against two naïve missionaries who are hiding their own doubts.

Mr. Reed knows exactly where the weak points are and wields the philosophical knife. “How do you feel about strange questions?” he asks, before tackling the church’s stance on polygamy. “Yeah, it’s definitely sketch,” East’s Sister Paxton finally admits. Soon a discussion begins about which religions are better marketed. After all, Mr. Reed is facing a pair of walking-and-talking advertisements for Mormonism.

“Heretic” is so beautifully made and acted in the first half that you won’t really notice when it becomes a horror movie. You may be one step ahead of the missionaries, but not by much. Mr. Reed alternates between creepy and funny, versed in Spider-Man and Voltaire, Radiohead and the Hollies, Wendy’s and Taco Bell. Grant weaponizes his natural charm brilliantly.

Mr. Reed has his grand theory about religion and you will learn it. And there may or may not be some creepy things in his basement. “It’s all terrible. This is scary. “I’m scared,” he says lovingly, but he’s talking about organized religions. You’ll find him downright terrifying, a fanatical heretic in sheep’s clothing who can do a beautiful imitation of Jar Jar Binks from the Star Wars universe.

Beck and Wood take this charming premise as far as it can go before it becomes an airless stage play. By the halfway point, the audience that came for the horror – not a lecture on religious marketing – is craving blood, and blood they will get. By the end the plot is a vague, convoluted and disturbing mess, a combination of too many ideas and no clear ending.

Grant, with his cozy cardigan and candles, is the highlight of the film, but Thatcher and East do great work trying not to act scared even when they are. And they’re not just simple targets – they provide teeth-shaking, worthy criticism of Mr Reid’s beliefs.

The producers added a little marketing manipulation with “Heretic”, including gore as well as the scent of blueberry pie in some screenings. Don’t get distracted. Keep your eyes on Hugh Grant and just pray.

The A24 release “Heretic,” which opens in theaters Friday, is rated R for “some bloody violence.” Running time: 110 minutes. Three out of four stars.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without any modifications to the text.